The invention pertains to a device, especially a vehicle, intended to be moved by muscular force, with                an electrical machine, which influences the movement of the device in addition to the muscular force (FB);        an electrical machine which generates drive and/or braking force (FB);        at least one sensor for measuring the muscular force (FB) acting on the device; and        devices for controlling the generation of the drive and/or braking force (FM) by the electrical machine on the basis of the measurement signal (FB′) of the sensor.        
In addition to vehicles of many different types for many different purposes, a device to be moved by muscular force can also be, for example, the sliding carriage of a machine tool or a pivoting load-carrying arm. In each case, what is involved is an object which is to be put into motion or held by the action of muscular force
A golf caddy with an auxiliary electric drive exhibiting the features mentioned above is known from WO 95/03096. The sensor housed in the handle of the push/pull shaft of the caddy detects the pulling or pushing force acting on the handle. The electrical machine of the auxiliary drive exerts an additional drive and/or braking force in such a way that, independently of the terrain conditions, the user is never called upon to overcome more than the same, comfortably selected traveling resistance at all times, regardless of whether the user is going uphill or steeply downhill. The electrical machine supports the user when the path proceeds uphill, and it brakes the caddy when the path proceeds downhill. The electrical energy produced during braking is stored in a battery forming the brakeload, which battery otherwise delivers operating current for the generation of the drive forces.